Nissan, on Tuesday, dropped the covers on the latest iteration of the Leaf electric hatchback at the Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Japanese company has been tight-lipped about the price tag on the new Leaf Plus and is expected to roll out the model by the latter half of this year.
We assume that the 'Plus' in the Leaf's name reflects the extra range on the car that comes with the help of a 62-kWh battery. Nissan claims that the new battery is good for an EPA-rated range of 363km. Currently, the standard Leaf that was redesigned for 2018 features a 49kWh battery that delivers a 241km range.
MikeDitzPhoto.com
Apart from the long range, the new battery also calls for higher power output, clocking at 215hp and 325Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the standard Leaf provides 147hp and 306Nm of torque. Apart from that, Nissan claims that the owners of the new Leaf Plus can expect better mid-range performance compared to the standard Leaf.
The new Nissan Leaf Plus will also feature a slightly faster charging system. Reports suggest that the new system is capable of similar charging times when hooked up to a 100-kW charger as current Leaf owners do with a 50-kW charger, despite the 55-per cent larger battery capacity. Nissan estimates an 80-per cent charge will take 40 minutes.
What About The Leaf Nismo RC?
Talking about the Leaf, numerous we are yet to hear on Nissan's future plans about the new Leaf Nismo RC. Back in 2011 when the concept was unveiled, more than a model that had a future in Nissan's shed, the 2011-concept was a statement of purpose to highlight the potential of electric cars.However, last year in December, the company reiterated the name hinting at a potential future in its line-up. The similarity in the name seems to have ended there as the mechanics on the new Leaf Nismo RC is nowhere similar to that of the Leaf. For instance, the race car concept packs an electric motor at each axle for a combined 326hp of power and 639Nm of torque, whereas the regular Leaf features a single electric motor up front with 147bhp and 318Nm. However, a few components like the battery and inverters have been borrowed from the standard Leaf.
